parasite

Noun

(plural parasites)

(pejorative) A person who lives on other people's efforts or expense and gives little back. [from 16th c.]

(biology) an organism that lives on or in another organism, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.

Lice, fleas, ticks and mites are widely spread parasites.

(literary, poetic) A climbing plant which is supported by a wall, trellis etc. [from 19th c.]

From Latinparasitus, from Ancient Greek Ï€Î±ÏÎ¬ÏƒÎ¹Ï„Î¿Ï‚ (parasitos, â€œperson who eats at the table of anotherâ€), from noun use of adjective meaning "feeding beside", from Ï€Î±ÏÎ¬ (para, â€œbesideâ€) + Ïƒá¿–Ï„Î¿Ï‚ (sitos, â€œfoodâ€).

parasite - Computer Definition

Unsolicited software that is installed in a computer without users realizing it. There are many different types. Parasites can report Web browsing habits to a marketing company over the Internet (see spyware) or change browser settings to point to a specific site. They can redirect search engine results to a site that sells a related product, and they can cause premium services to be dialed up.
Read the License Agreement
Parasites are often installed with freeware, and the license agreement may actually say so, but hardly anyone reads it. Sometimes, users can opt out of installing the parasite and install only what they wanted in the first place. Be sure security settings are set to medium at least, and never click "Yes" to any dialog that asks "do you want to run" or "execute" something unless you know what that something is. ActiveX controls on the Web cannot only install parasites but viruses as well.
Parasites often do not include an uninstall function and may not be easily removed, although anti-parasite programs can detect and remove them (see spyware blocker).

Sentence Examples

He emp­tied two water bottles before 10:00 and replenished them in one of the ice-cold streams, too thirsty to heed the literature of a pos­sible parasite from elk urine or something.

6) has a good deal to tell about the viscum, a deadly parasite, though slower in its action than ivy.

Fleah, or flea, cognate with flee, to run away from, to take flight), a name typically applied to Pulex irritans, a well-known blood-sucking insect-parasite of man and other mammals, remarkable for its powers of leaping, and nearly cosmopolitan.

The human flea is considerably exceeded in size by certain other species found upon much smaller hosts; thus the European Hystrichopsylla talpae, a parasite of the mole, shrew and other small mammals, attains a length of 5z millimetres; another large species infests the Indian porcupine.

In order to cause the disease, the single-celled parasite must multiply in the human bloodstream.